


All As One

by Tressimir



Category: Persona 4, Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2015-10-02
Packaged: 2018-04-24 09:16:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4913803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tressimir/pseuds/Tressimir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Igor calls Yu to the Velvet Room as a threat looms over not only his world, but others as well. To match their enemy's strength, however, the Investigation Team will have more allies than ever before. Written for a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All As One

“Welcome back… to the Velvet Room.” Yeah, this was familiar. Yu had already gone through this twice before, and as he expected Igor was sitting in front of him with that enormous nose. “It is very rare to see a guest here more than once, yet here you are for a third time. Very interesting.”

 

Yu nodded slowly, having a decent idea of what was in store. “Let me guess – there’s a catastrophe threatening the world and I’m needed to deal with it?”

 

Igor’s smile was more than a little unnerving as he chuckled, “You truly have seen the pattern behind your arrivals in this room. Your theory is correct, save for one point; the threat that faces you imperils not only your world, but others as well. Those which you cannot see or feel are affected by this as well. But fear not – though the danger you must face is greater than anything you have faced before, you will have many more allies willing and able to stand beside you.”

 

“I get it. So this doesn’t have anything to do with the Midnight Channel?” Not that he expected an answer; Igor was always incredibly cryptic, to the point that Naoto’s leaps of logic seemed like a child’s riddle in comparison.

 

“The world you and your companions delved into is completely unrelated to the endeavor you must undertake. The Velvet Keys will be your guide. Now, until we meet again…” The long-nosed man’s voice wavered along with the room, making it perfectly obvious that Yu was on his own from here on out.

 

~~

 

At his insistence, the Investigation Team gathered at Junes to discuss the coming threat. Once Yu had relayed what Igor had told him, Kanji asked, “That have somethin’ to do with those blue chicks? The one who helped us out with Marie-chan and that really nuts one that was hangin’ around during that shit with Labrys and Minazuki?”

 

“Yeah, Margaret and Elizabeth. Margaret’s the current Velvet Assistant, even though she wasn’t in the room when Igor called me, and apparently Elizabeth’s her sister who held the position before her. I don’t think we can rely on either of them to help us out, though; Igor just said the Velvet Keys would guide us.” Yu fished around in his pocket and pulled out the ornate blue key, showing it to his friends.

 

Rise gasped a little at the sight of it, pulling out her own copy of it and surprising Yu. “I was wondering where this thing came from. It was on my bedside table when I woke up this morning.”

 

One by one, everyone produced their own Velvet Key, the circumstances appearing similar between them. Naoto looked at the keys and mused, “I see. If only Yu-senpai had one of these before, that explains why only he could enter this ‘Velvet Room,’ but if we’ve each obtained our own key, we must all be expected to enter. This must have been a part of this Igor person’s plan.” Before she could say any more, all the keys began to glow with an azure light that only slowly faded.

 

“I think I know what’s going on. Follow me, alright?” Getting up, Yu led his team to the Velvet Room and opened the door – and as expected, they were all able to step through.

 

~~

 

The initial responses to Igor’s huge-nosed, bug-eyed face greeting them were split between stunned silence, sudden shouting and, in Kanji’s case, a need to be physically restrained by Yosuke and Naoto to avoid punching the master of the Velvet Room thanks to a brief panic attack. For his part, Igor remained completely and utterly indifferent. “Welcome, new guests, to the Velvet Room. You are all friends of our previous guest, if I recall.”

 

Chie nodded, being the first to recover her voice, and hesitantly replied, “Y-Yeah, Yu-kun’s our friend. He said we had another big thing to deal with, like with the fog and Izanami and Minazuki and Kagutsuchi?”

 

“Indeed. The new foe you face threatens to destroy not only your world, but many others as well, and your combined power is needed to stand against it. To this end, the Velvet Room is available to you as a base of operations – the door at the far end of the room will take you to the location where your intervention is most needed, and my assistants Margaret and Theodore have prepared weapons for you.” Gesturing with one gloved hand, Igor drew their attention to a table laden with facsimiles of each member of the team’s favored weapons.

 

Noticing a distinct lack of the assistants in question, Yu asked, “Margaret and Theodore? Where are they?”

 

Igor’s all-knowing smile never got any less creepy no matter how many times Yu saw it. “They are preparing for your allies who have yet to come, as they too will make use of the Velvet Room. In fact, one will be needing your assistance shortly, as they require the same assistance that all of you did. Though your new allies lack the potential to wield a Persona, they must still face their inner selves in order to be of use in this conflict.”

 

“Guess we gotta go then.” Yosuke shrugged and grabbed a pair of kunai from the table, spinning them in his grip experimentally. “Man, you Velvet people are good. These are perfect!” Once everyone had retrieved their weapons, they made their way to the imposing door at the end of the Velvet Room and pushed their way through.

 

~~

 

The area they ended up in was dark and appeared to be a city plaza, albeit in a very medieval-European style that somehow had streetlights and was apparently underground. What drew their attention, however, was the pair of figures standing in the one pool of light where the streetlights’ glow intersected – a young girl crumpled on the ground and one who could’ve been her identical twin, save for her blazing yellow eyes. This looked familiar.

 

“Everyone looks down on me just because of my age!” The Shadow snarled, her voice surprisingly harsh even without the eldritch echo. “I’m smarter than they’ll ever be, but they look down on me and say I’m just a kid! They’re all a bunch of idiots… They need to be taught a lesson!”

 

The original tried to push herself upright, though she ended up lacking the strength to do so. “I’m over that now… I used to think that, but Yuri and Estelle and the rest helped me out of it. Who do you think you are to speak for me like that?!”

 

Never before had any of them seen such a young girl with such a terrifying smile. It was disturbingly reminiscent of Adachi’s the last time they’d all fought. “C’mon, genius mage, you didn’t figure it out? I’m you. I’m the part of yourself that you don’t want to remember exists. I’m how you _really_ are.” The Shadow adjusted the goggles on top of her head, her expression a combination of smug and scary as hell.

 

“Liar!” This time the original was able to stand, swiping her brunette bangs out of her face. “You’ve got a lot of nerve saying something like that! You’re _not_ me!”

 

“Heeheehee… Hahahahahaha!” The streetlights flickered as the Shadow’s laugh rent the air, her brilliant eyes glowing when the lights failed. “You’re gonna try so hard to pretend I don’t exist, even when I’m right in front of you! Some genius you are… You might as well just die!” The lights flicked off completely, the entire plaza going pitch-black for a moment… and then the Shadow’s true form was revealed, the girl’s body fused into a great mechanical pillar with a glowing orb where her heart should’ve been.

 

“I am a Shadow, the true self… Those idiots who look down on me for being ‘just a kid’ and these ones who came in to rescue my idiot host, I’ll kill every last one of them! Haaaaahahahaha!”

 

The Investigation Team looked between themselves and nodded, calling upon their Personas. The battle quickly proved to be different than most they’d fought – the Shadow seemed immune to Izanagi-no-Okami’s electricity, Sumeo-Okami’s fire, Takehaya Susano-o’s wind, anything that didn’t involve smashing it with a large, sharp or heavy object. Which, of course, meant that Kanji and Takeji Zaiten proved exceptionally effective.

 

The Shadow seethed with rage as a large mechanical arm grafted onto its pillar forced Takeji Zaiten away for a moment, the core of its heart glowing as bright as its eyes. “Damn idiots… I’ll destroy you all! There won’t be anything left to remember you by!” A howl toward the cavern ceiling far above echoed through the battlefield, setting the team’s ears to ringing before pinpricks of bright light appeared in the distant heights. Then the pinpricks began to grow larger, and everyone was momentarily dumbstruck by what was headed their way.

 

“Are those… meteors?!” Yukiko gasped as the flaming spheres of rock descended, spread out to the point that the entire battlefield would be reduced to rubble on impact.

 

Before Yu could give any orders, Naoto had already concluded what her next course of action would be. “I can’t lose here…! Yamato-Sumeragi!” The detective’s tiny Persona manifested before her, holding out one hand while Naoto focused, and as the meteors approached a dome of interlocked riot shields formed over her and her allies. The noise was deafening, but the barrier held until the Shadow’s attack had lost all its momentum and dissipated.

 

“Shield of Justice…” Yu sighed in relief. “Naoto, have I ever told you how much I love you?”

 

She gave him a cocky smirk back and replied, “Many times. There’ll be time for that once we’ve beaten this Shadow, however – Kanji-kun, Chie-senpai, it’s open!”

 

The delinquent and the aspiring martial artist focused their power into their Personas, Takeji Zaiten and Haraedo-no-Okami lurching forward and cleaving their respective weapons into the Shadow’s pillar, severing it from the base.

 

“Y-Youuuuuu… I can’t lose! It’s impossible! Nooooo!” Wisps of darkness rose from the collapsing Shadow, its form dissolving to reveal its original form as a copy of the young girl fallen to the ground.

 

In the aftermath, the brunette struggled to her feet and slowly made her way to her Shadow. “Ugh… You little…” The Shadow got up and met the original’s eyes… only to be punched in the face. “Alright, fine, I admit it! I hate being looked down on just because I’m a kid! But I’ve got some people who don’t, and I’ll keep up my research and discover more and more until I’ve earned everyone’s respect! So yeah, you might be me – you keep driving me on, and eventually I won’t be looked down on, and then I won’t need this part of myself anymore! So until then, I’ll accept that you’re part of me!”

 

The Shadow smiled again, but this time it was less terrifying and more genuine before it vanished with a nod. The girl laughed softly to herself before collapsing, hard. “Oww…!”

 

“Are you alright?!” Chie and Yukiko were the first to her side, kneeling beside her.

 

A little shocked by the unfamiliar faces, the girl looked as though she was going to slap them away before relaxing and asking, “You guys… You killed that thing, right? That part of me.”

 

Naoto stepped forward and offered her hand. “We call them ‘Shadows.’ They’re the result of a person suppressing parts of their psyche rather than accepting themselves for everything they are. Now that you’ve done so, you’re stronger than you were before.” Realizing that she’d forgotten something, the girl detective added, “My name is Naoto Shirogane. These are my friends.”

 

“Rita Mordio. Thanks for that; I really wish I could’ve taken it out myself, but I guess if what you said is true then it’d be like chopping off my own arm.” Rita accepted Naoto’s hand, allowing the navy-haired girl to help her to her feet. “Ugh, now I feel really dizzy…”

 

Glancing over his shoulder, Yu noticed that the door they’d entered from had reappeared. “Let’s take Rita-san back to the Velvet Room. It’s better than wherever this place is.” The girl in question didn’t bother resisting as Naoto let Chie and Yukiko help her along.

 

~~

 

Back in the Velvet Room, Rita dropped into a chair and took a deep breath. “What is this place? Never seen anything like it before.”

 

A female voice from behind the Investigation Team and Rita surprised everyone as Margaret arrived and handed Rita a drink. “This is the Velvet Room, a location that exists outside the normal boundaries of space and time. My master has connected it to multiple worlds in light of a threat that imperils all of existence, which is why you are here together now. Miss Mordio, you have the strength required to stand against the coming darkness.”

 

Rita drained the drink completely before saying anything else. “I thought one world-ending catastrophe was enough, and you’re saying there’s something even bigger? As much as I wish I could say I’ll take a pass, I know that things are gonna go bad fast if I do. So count me in. Like I said, I’m Rita Mordio, from Terca Lumireis – I’m an Imperial researcher.” She looked around at her rescuers, obviously expecting introductions.

 

“I’m Yu Narukami. My friends and I are from Japan on planet Earth… Okay, that sounds silly to say out loud. Anyway, we had a lot of battles against Shadows last year, so we all understand what you’re going through.” The silverette laughed embarrassedly, though the look Rita was giving him made him vaguely uncomfortable.

 

Yosuke chimed in next, stretching and saying, “My name’s Yosuke Hanamura. My partner’s the one who got us all together, but him and me have been going at it the longest. I got your back, Rita-san.”

 

“Yosuke, you dork, you don’t have to brag about it. Besides, you shouldn’t flirt with other girls when I’m standing right here!” Chie sighed and shook her head. “I’m Chie Satonaka. Yosuke’s my boyfriend, but he really doesn’t seem to get that that means he’s not supposed to hit on other girls in front of me. It’s nice to meet you, Rita-san.”

 

The air was suddenly blasted by a very familiar laughing fit as Yukiko doubled over, absolutely hysterical. “Heehee… Chie, you act like Yosuke bothers you so much, but… Hahahahaha!” She leaned on a nearby table to keep from falling over, leaving Rita looking slightly alarmed.

 

“Uhh… Is she okay?” The brunette asked, looking at Yukiko with wide eyes.

 

When her gigglesplosion had finally subsided, Yukiko got her breath back and smiled invitingly. “Sorry about that. I’m Yukiko Amagi; Chie and I have been friends ever since we were little. It’s very nice to meet you.”

 

Kanji had been almost suspiciously quiet the entire time, at least until everyone looked his way and he was forced to speak. “Yeah, I’m Kanji Tatsumi. So, uh… nice to meet ya.” Rita’s blank expression immediately caused him to look away again, and the majority of the team recognized that face he made.

 

“Don’t worry about him, Kanji’s always like that. I’m Rise Kujikawa; it’s really nice to meet you, Rita-san!”

 

The idol’s bright smile seemed to lighten their new arrival’s mood a little, even bringing a smile to Rita’s face. Then she saw Teddie and it was gone. “What’s that thing? It’s weird and furry and moving. Is it a monster?” Rita slowly reached for a long, thin implement coiled and hanging off her belt.

 

Teddie walked up right in front of Rita and gave her his typical carefree grin, saying, “I’m Teddie, the adorable bear of our little group of friends! And I always like meeting pretty girls, so I’m really happy to meet you, Rii-chan!” He toppled over as the girl slammed a surprisingly powerful fist into his face. “Owww! Why must you be so cruel?!”

 

“Ugh, you’re just like the old man!” Catching everyone’s confused looks, she hurriedly explained, “Back in my world, I had some friends I was traveling with. There was this one old man with us called Raven – really good with a bow and not bad with magic for not being a dedicated mage, but he was the biggest pervert.”

 

Yosuke thought for a moment before asking, “So magic really does exist in your world – you called it Terca Lumireis? You keep talking about it, and your Shadow called you a ‘genius mage’…”

 

Rita nodded. “I guess if we’re from different worlds, there’d be some major differences. Magic is a big thing in my world, but a lot of the mages in the Empire that I’m from are also scientists. We develop new technology and test hypotheses about the world around us, that kind of thing. I bet there’s similar stuff in your world. But are you saying you don’t use magic? Because those things you summoned definitely didn’t look normal.” She looked between them intently, her expression curious.

 

“What we use is the power of our hearts and bonds. We call it ‘Persona,’ and we got ours by facing our Shadows just like you did.” Yu explained, looking to Igor for confirmation.

 

The long-nosed master of the Velvet Room nodded and waved a hand airily. “This is true. The power of Persona relies on the fundamental mindset of your rescuers’ world, which means that you lack the potential. The power you possess after facing yourself is equal in strength, however, and will be necessary to save all worlds threatened by this crisis. As one of the keys to salvation, you will need to reenter this Velvet Room to convene with your allies, which is why I will give you this.”

 

A flash of blue light coalesced into a Velvet Key in Rita’s hand, which she looked at in shock before nodding thoughtfully. “My friends and I worked our butts off to save our world. I’m not letting something else destroy it. Count me in!”

 

Naoto smiled gently and mused, “You and I are very much alike, Rita-san. We both possess intelligence beyond many of our peers despite our young ages, and we both found a group of true friends who accepted us in light of these differences. If you ever require support, you can rely on all of us – and me in particular.”

 

“Thanks, Naoto…-san.” Rita stumbled over the honorific. “Why do you add that after my name anyway? Is that a thing in your world?” The next several minutes were spent explaining to her exactly how honorifics worked, after which the young mage nodded. “So, uh, you, Kanji-san and Rise-san call the rest ‘senpai’ because they’ve been in the group longer than you? But wouldn’t that make everyone else your senpai, Naoto-san?”

 

Rita’s innocent ignorance of how the Japanese language worked was amusing to the Investigation Team, who shared smiles among themselves. “No, that’s not it. They’re our senpai because we all go to the same school, but we’re a year below them. It’s got nothing to do with who joined when.” Rise explained with a smile.

 

“So then, none of you are my senpai then? Great, that makes things really simple.” Rubbing her temples, the newest member of the group sighed, “This is a headache, but I guess it has to be done. If anyone else joins, though, they’ll have to face their Shadow, right? So we’re going to be doing a lot of fighting even before we get to the main threat.”

 

Chie shrugged and replied, “We gotta do what we gotta do, right? Don’t worry, Rita-san, we’ve got your back!” The older girl’s bright grin seemed to make the whole room a bit less dark.

 

Igor interrupted at that point, stating, “A door to the Velvet Room has opened in your world, Miss Mordio. When the Velvet Key glows, you will know that something is occurring. To see residents of different worlds mingle and communicate… this is unprecedented.”

 

“That guy creeps me out.” Rita said simply. “Well, I’m gonna go home and get some rest, but if you need me I’ll be there. See ya!” Getting up and stretching, she made her way to the exit and walked out.

 

“Rita-san’s… interesting.” Yukiko said once she’d left. “She seems reliable, though. I’m glad she’s on our side!” The Investigation Team followed Rita out, not at all surprised that she wasn’t there when they stepped into their world.


End file.
